STUTTGART, June 6, 2016

Two main draw singles matches headlined the action on a sunny Monday at the €675,645 Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart.

Sam Groth

Big-serving Sam Groth achieved his first victory over Illya Marchenko in the pair’s second tour meeting, winning 7-5, 6-4. The world number 115 from Australia didn’t face a break point, firing 15 aces to prevail in one hour and 15 minutes. Groth will next take on Roland Garros semi-finalist Dominic Thiem, who has become the newest member in the top 10. The 22-year-old Austrian jumped from 15th position to world number seven after his impressive run in Paris last week. Thiem and Groth will meet for the second time with the Austrian winning the previous encounter in Miami this season in straight sets.

Stuttgart native Michael Berrer rallied back to overcome Malek Jaziri 6-7, 6-2, 6-4. The 35-year-old German sent down 14 aces, winning 77% of his first service points to secure victory after one hour and 59 minutes. Berrer will take on the winner of the match between German qualifier Florian Mayer and sixth seed Viktor Troicki.

Sergiy Stakhovsky

In the final round of the qualifying, top-seed Sergiy Stakhovsky stopped Frank Moser from appearing in his first singles main draw since Mumbai 2006 with a 6-4, 6-4 victory in one hour and 17 minutes. The 30-year-old from the Ukraine will take on German wild card Jan Choinski on Tuesday.

Fabrice Martin dismissed Yuichi Sugita 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 to join Stakhovsky in Stuttgart’s main draw, taking on US-American teenager Taylor Fritz. Czech veteran Radek Stepanek eased past James Ward, winning 6-2, 6-1 to meet Denis Istomin in the first round.

Top-seed Roger Federer will open his title bid on Wednesday not before 4pm local time. He awaits the winner of the first round encounter between Taylor Fritz and Fabrice Martin.